“The Premier and Minister of Health failed to file any evidence by the Court’s deadline,” the Constitutional Freedom Bermuda [CFB] group has claimed, adding that “the mandatory hotel quarantine was first announced in May 2021 and the Government should have had the evidence to support their position before announcing it to the public.”
A spokesperson said, “On 4 June 2021, the Chief Justice ordered the Premier and Minister of Health to file all evidence which they rely upon to assert that mandatory hotel quarantine is reasonably required in the interest of public health; the Court ordered deadline was set for Friday 25 June 2021.
“Most unfortunately, the Premier and Minister of Health failed to file any evidence by the Court’s deadline,” a CFB spokesperson said, with the group accusing them of having “flagrantly breached the Court order which will has thrown the Court’s timeline for this important constitutional matter into disarray.”
“No correspondence has been forthcoming from Counsel acting on behalf of the Premier and Minister of Health indicating a basis for the failure to meet the deadline.”
The group added that this should “concern all Bermudians”, noting that the “Premier and Minister of Health are not above the law” and this “has the real potential of causing a serious delay to the determination of this important constitutional issue.”
“The mandatory hotel quarantine was first announced in May 2021 and the Government should have had the evidence to support their position before announcing it to the public.
“All Bermudians should be concerned that nearly 3 months later, the Government have failed to produce any evidence which supports their case that mandatory hotel quarantine is reasonably required in the interest of public health and that there are no less restrictive, more reasonable measures that can achieve the public health interest.
“We call upon Premier and Minister of Health to withdraw the imposition of the unconstitutional mandatory hotel quarantine immediately.”
In response to this statement, a Government spokesperson said, “It would not be appropriate to comment on this matter as it is before the Courts.”
